ABOUT

GPP (Gulf Photo Plus) believes in the art and science of photography as a medium of creative expression, and exists to inform, educate and inspire photographers of all levels. The Dubai-based company organises year-round photography workshops, inspirational talks, exhibitions and events for the local photography community, and is famed the world over for its biannual photofests.
March 2014 was the 10th edition of the annual GPP event in Dubai.

The 8-day GPP2014 photography extravaganza is the largest to date, featuring 15 top photography instructors, attracting amateur and professional photographers from all over the world. Since its inception in 2004, this world-class, one of a kind photography event has secured its place on every passionate photographer’s bucket list.

Why you can’t afford to miss PopUP GPP Singapore?

Following the success of PopUP GPP London, GPP is continuing with their winning formula - the best instructors, exceptional organisation and a passion for photography... next stop, Singapore

Learn from the best

Join PopUP GPP’s stellar line-up - Zack Arias, Gregory Heisler, Joe McNally and Louis Pang - for an unforgettable weekend of photography learning, inspiration and fun. In two jam-packed days you’ll learn from each of the photographers in four carefully planned sessions designed to boost your photography skills, creativity and career.
See inside the mind of a lighting master, understand the creative thought processes of legendary photographers and pick up invaluable insights and tips.

WHO IS POPUP AIMED AT?

PopUP GPP is aimed at amateur photographers to seasoned pros. You will learn new tricks and new ways to use old tricks by some of the world's top photographers! Whether its photographing subjects in the studio, on-location, street, corporate, fashion and more, you don't want to miss this. From posing and directing to lighting and refining your light and more importantly how to be motivated and inspired to go out and do better photography, this is for you. Just come with an open mind (and a good grasp of the fundamentals of photography and basic lighting) and leave inspired!

Be inspired

These unique sessions go beyond the online tutorials, lighting diagrams and instructional books and DVDs, to give you an intensive dose of real creative and photographic inspiration that you won’t find anywhere else. The inspiration doesn’t stop there; whether you’re networking with fellow photographers or chatting with the instructors, you’ll be inspired to take your photography further than ever before.

GREGORY HEISLER

Evocative Light: See It, Understand It, Create It!

To master light you must understand it, see it better and think in terms of it. In this intensive session, Gregory will share his thought process and lighting technique, explaining the why, as well as the what and how, of many of his iconic portraits.

JOE MCNALLY

So, You Just Got This Flash…

A fast paced, interactive live demo session (with ongoing Q&A) covering creative portrait lighting from the most simple to the more advanced using one, two and three lights and wide array of light shaping tools. Learn how to manage and balance light, and consistently reproduce results.

LOUIS PANG

Bridal, Lifestyle & Large Group Posing

Great portraits combine technical excellence with the ability to bring out the best out in your subjects. From lighting to posing techniques and interacting with your subject – get the ultimate portrait photography recipes for individuals, couples and large groups.

ZACK ARIAS

You aren't a photographer. You are a director.

Bring together the elements of camera and lighting technique, creating mood and directing your subject to realise your vision. Even if you're a crew of one, learn how to think like a movie director.

Program

Saturday 3rd May, 9.30am-1.00pm

You aren't a photographer. You are a director.

Zack Arias

A director is usually thought of as someone who sits in a chair on a movie set and barks orders out to the actors and crew involved in making the director's vision of the movie at hand. For the crew you have people in charge of the camera. People in charge of the light. People in charge of the sets and costumes. Etc. Etc. Everyone is working together to create the Director's vision. You also have the actors on set. They are the ones in front of the camera delivering the lines and emotions needed to fulfill all of this. Dozens of talented people and millions of dollars are all coming together to create 24 still images per second.

On a photo shoot you are the director. You are also the camera operator. You are in charge of the light. You select the wardrobe. Everything is on you to make one image of the subject in front of your lens. When your subject is in front of your camera your number one job at this point is director. You bring everything together to create the image you want. In this class Zack is going to walk you through the process of being a director, a camera operator, and a lighting technician to create the image you need. You'll learn about lights, lenses, exposure, moods, posing, directing, and seeing this process worked out from start to finish.

You'll walk away from this class thinking less like a photographer and more like a director.

Saturday 3rd May, 2.30pm-6.00pm

So, You Just Got This Flash…

Joe McNally

And, you make a picture with it, and the picture is, well, awful. Not to worry, you have lots and lots of company in this regard. After your first few flash attempts, ones where your subjects all end up looking like candidates for a police lineup, you slip this battery operated box of light back into your gear bag, shift your ISO ever higher, and deal only with light you can see. You never open that flash box again, 'cause when you do, just like the board game in Jumanji, bad stuff happens.

How to manage what effectively amounts to an explosion of light? How to wrangle reproducible results? How do you make your flash invisible? Or look like it's supposed to be there, right alongside the natural light? How does the portrait subject at hand, and the terrain of their face and personality, determine what light shaper, what mood, or even what color of light to apply?

In a fast paced three hour session, we take one, two, (okay, maybe three) lights, and couple them up with simple light shaping tools to create portraits. Subjects are drawn from the audience. In highly caffeinated, colorful dialogue, each portrait session is discussed and shot, live, with every frame popping up on the screens for all to see. Mistakes, saves, re-directs, and shifts in direction, light and strategy are all part of path to a good portrait, and it will all be done onstage. We will do as many portrait sessions as possible, using different qualities of light, expressed by different types of light shaping tools, from the most simple to the more advanced. In addition to the images shot live, there will be pictures and examples of light and light theory shown, ongoing Q&A throughout, and stories, tips, tricks and survival strategies derived from 35 years of shooting sprinkled throughout the three hours.

Sunday 4th May, 9.30am-1.00pm

Bridal, Lifestyle & Large Group Posing

Louis Pang

The ability to capture great portraits is a skill that makes great photographers stand out from the crowd. No matter who you are photographing, how many subjects you have or what the location and occasion, Louis Pang has the perfect photo recipe. In this live demo, he will leave no stone unturned when it comes to getting the most out of your subjects and making beautiful, memorable portraits.

Shooting tethered, live on stage, Louis will walk you through the three key ingredients that come together to create amazing portraiture; camera set up, beautiful lighting, posing and interacting with subjects.

Covering everything from classical posing with brides, to capturing ‘real moments’ with lifestyle family portraiture, to shooting and compositing large groups. You’ll be treated to a fly-on-the-wall viewpoint, watching Louis at work and picking up invaluable techniques and tricks along the way. Of course, with Louis’s engaging and entertaining style, you are guaranteed a few laughs, too.

Sunday 4th May, 2.30pm-6.00pm

Evocative Light: See It, Understand It, Create It!

Gregory Heisler

There are myriad photo websites, tutorials, webinars, and blogs. So many of them are focused on the gear (after all, that's what sells!). The stuff."If I only bought that new modifier…" What matters even more than the how is the why. Once you begin to understand light, you can begin to see it better, enjoy it more, think in terms of it, and even make it happen when and where you want. It's the only thing your camera's sensor sees, so you want to use it expressively, not be at its mercy.

In this jam-packed intensive, Gregory will show many of his iconic portraits as well as share his thought process and demonstrate some of the underlying principles live onstage. Not just what he used and how he used it, but more importantly, why he chose to use it in the first place. After all, it's these decisions that ultimately shape our images. There are countless techniques, none of which substitute for vision.

Come curious, leave inspired.

PRICING

The fee for PopUP GPP is US$449 which includes access to all 4 sessions on both days.
Head over to our FAQ for more info.

Need a place to stay ?

We've partnered with BIG Hotel Singapore that is a chic boutique hotel and even better, a 5mins (450m) walk from SOTA where PopUP is being held.

At BIG Hotel, from their hip and trendy rooms to luxe amenities, everything has been thoughtfully designed with the design-conscious nomad in mind which makes this the perfect hotel to partner with for PopUP GPP.

We have a special deal for PopUP attendees at the BIG Hotel which is 10% off their Best Available Rate, subject to availability. (No-cancellation and No-amendment). To book your room, email reservations@bighotel.com and quote “GPP2014”. Valid for stays in April & May 2014 only.

Events

FUJIFILM evening with Zack Arias

Street photography is about a moment; a slice of unscripted life. It’s about getting in close and getting the shot. Join Zack Arias, an editorial and commercial photographer at this talk brought to you by FujiFilm Singapore to be held at SOTA (School of Theatre & Arts) as part of the PopUP GPPSingapore event where he will share his tips and techniques for blending into the scene and candidly capturing the people and places around you.
FREE to Attend but registration is a must.

POPUP MIXER!

Join us, the organisers, instructors and partners on Saturday (May 3rd) evening for a post PopUP GPP social mixer at the Grape & Grain wine bar which is a short walk away from the PopUP venue at the BIG Hotel. One of the aims of PopUP GPP is to connect with like minded photographers together and have a fun time so we'd love to say Hello over a few drinks and nibbles after a long day of inspiration and information. You don't need to register or sign up - just meet us there!

FAQS

How does Pop Up GPP work?

The Pop Up GPP experience is designed to maximise your exposure to four of the world’s best photography instructors. In one weekend you’ll attend an intensive 3.5-hour session with each instructor, giving you a complete package of photography awesomeness that you won’t find anywhere else.

Why should I attend?

Pop Up GPP Singapore is bringing together world-renowned photography instructors Zack Arias, Gregory Heisler, Joe McNally and Louis Pang for the first time ever in Singapore.

Each instructor has developed a unique, 3.5-hour session - specific to their particular style and strengths – that you will not find anywhere else. The seminar-style sessions will cover a range of essential photography skills and subjects – from lighting and the creative process, to live demos and posing your subjects. Pop Up GPP Singapore will educate and inspire you to boost your creativity and your photography business.

How do I know if Pop Up GPP is right for me?

PopUP GPP is aimed at amateur photographers to seasoned pros. You will learn new tricks and new ways to use old tricks by some of the world's top photographers! Whether its photographing subjects in the studio, on-location, street, corporate, fashion and more, you don't want to miss this. From posing and directing to lighting and refining your light and more importantly how to be motivated and inspired to go out and do better photography, this is for you. Just come with an open mind (and a good grasp of the fundamentals of photography and basic lighting) and leave inspired!

Where is Pop Up GPP taking place?

We will be in SOTA - School Of The Arts Singapore, Drama Theatre, 1 Zubir Said Drive, Singapore 227968.

What should I bring with me?

Something to take notes on – laptop, tablet, or good old fashioned paper and pen.

You will not be shooting in class, so there’s no need to bring your camera although we will have some vendors at Pop Up GPP, so you may want to bring it to try any accessories. You will be able to ask questions and interact with the photographers during the seminars, so prep some questions.

How do I sign up and pay for PopUP GPP?

You have two payment options:

Click here and select the number of tickets you would like to purchase. When you are ready to pay by credit card, a popup window will appear where you can enter your payment details.

How much is one ticket?

The fee for PopUP GPP is US$449 which includes access to all 4 sessions on both days.

Can I buy a ticket for one day only?

This is a tough one - while we insist and strongly encourage that you come for the entire weekend to get the most out of the PopUP experience, we understand that some of you may not be able to make it for one of the days due to travel commitments or shoots, etc. so we have decided to accommodate those of you who find yourself in a situation like that. The price for a single day ticket is $USD250. Email us at info@gulfphotoplus.com and tell us which day you would like to come for and we will reply to you with instructions on how to make that happen.

Can I register at the event ?

Sorry, no payments can be made at the event.

Can I bring my camera?

Still cameras are welcome. No audio or video recording please! This includes your mobile devices.

I bought my tickets – what’s next?

You’ll receive an order confirmation to your registered email address, then…just sit tight! Closer to the date, we’ll send you a reminder email with all of the essential event information (where to go, registration process on the day, etc).

I bought one or more tickets. Something’s come up - can I get a refund?

You can - however, subject to these conditions.

Before April 3rd, 2014- 11:59pm Singapore time:
You can get a refund of 80% of the workshop value.

After April 3rd, 2014:
Refund: Sorry, folks - no refund after this point.

I am not ready to buy my ticket yet - how do I stay up to date with the event?

Just enter your email address on top of this page to stay in the loop with all Pop Up GPP Singapore updates. You can also follow us on Twitter or like our Facebook page, too.

I need a place to stay for the weekend – what do you recommend?

We recommend our partner Big Hotel offering PopUP attendees a 10% discount off their best available rate, subject to availability. (No-cancellation No-amendment). To book your room, email reservations@bighotel.com and quote “GPP2014”. Valid for stays in April & May 2014 only.